Fuel pumps are an essential part of aircraft fuel systems and may typically provided within the aircraft fuel tanks. For example, one or more pump may be used as a “boost pump” to provide or maintain a flow of fuel under pressure to an engine and/or one or more fuel pump may be used as a “transfer pump” to transfer fuel between separate fuel tanks (for example for balance purposes). It is known to provide a fuel pump mounted within a “canister” configured to be mounted within the fuel tank in use. The canister conveniently provides ease of installation and allows the pump to be removed (for maintenance or inspection) or replaced without the need to drain the fuel tank.
Electronics associated with a fuel pump, including for example the power supply (typically including an inverter) and control circuitry, are conventionally integral with the fuel pump and mounted within the canister. It will be appreciated that modern fuel pumps may have increasingly complex electronics. Further, modern aircraft may increasing adopt a “Variable-frequency” power generation system and, therefore, individual electrically powered aircraft components, such as fuel pump assemblies, may be expected to require more complex associated electronics. It is important that aircraft fuel pumps have relatively high reliability and it will be appreciated that increasing complexity of electronics may adversely impact the meantime between failure (MTBF) of such fuel pumps.